Image 23
Nio Guardian Figures
Japan
About 1360
Cypress wood with traces of lacquer
76 inches each
Gift of the Regis Corporation 83.76.1,2

• The Japanese story of Kongorikishi (congo-ree-kaw-she) justified the use of physical force to defend the Buddha and his worshipers against evil.
• The warrior rulers of 14th-century Japan valued bravery, honor, and strength.
• The enormous size and energetic poses of these Nio (NEE-oh) guardian sculptures made them imposing forces outside the gates of a Buddhist temple complex.
  

Once there was a king who had two wives. His first wife bore a thousand children who all decided to become monks and follow the Buddha's law. His second wife had only two sons. The youngest was named Non-o (NON-oh) and helped his monk brothers with their worship. The eldest, Kongorikishi, however, had a much more aggressive personality. He vowed to protect the Buddha and his worshipers by fighting against evil and ignorance.

Nio
Kongorikishi was the first of the heavenly kings, called Nio. The Nio were originally Hindu gods in India, who were adopted by the Japanese into the Buddhist pantheon. The Nio, also called Kongo, all came to be considered aggressive guardian deities in the tradition of Kongorikishi. Within the generally pacifist traditions of Buddhism, stories of Nio guardians like Kongorikishi justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil.

Samurai
Widespread discontent with the dictatorship of the Taira (tie-RAH) clan in Kyoto (key-OH-toe) caused an enormous uprising in 1180. Five years of brutal civil war ensued, ending when the Minamoto clan overthrew the Taira. The Minamoto handed control of the new government to a group of loyal warriors, called samurai (SAM-oo-rye). The samurai unified their forces under a code known as the "way of the warrior" which valued bravery, honor, and strength.

In art, the luxurious tastes and refinement of the Kyoto nobility were replaced by the directness and simplicity of the samurai. The dynamic spirit of the age demanded art that was similarly big and brash. The civil war had severely damaged many temples, and artists set about rebuilding, restoring, and replacing lost sculptures. In many instances they emulated the IDEALIZED but NATURALISTIC art made hundreds of years earlier during the Nara period (645-784). Among the many sculptures produced were pairs of large Nio guardian figures that stood outside Buddhist temple complexes.

Nio Guardian Figures
These Nio guardian figures named Misshaku (mish-AH-koo) Kongo (congo)-with his fist raised-and Naeren (NAY-ren) Kongo (congo) represent the use of overt power and latent power, respectively. They display the energy and realism characteristic of late 14th-century Japanese sculpture.

Standing on banks of fluffy clouds, the guardians are enormously muscled half-nude figures. Their features have been skillfully exaggerated by an artist well versed in the human form. Bulging muscles in their huge chests and arms communicate power even at a great distance. This exaggerated REALISM continues in the Nios' popping veins, extended jaws, and even in their delicate fingernails and toenails. The guardians' hair, pulled tightly into topknots, adds to their imposing height.

For all of their power, the Nio are also decorative. Their flower-shaped nipples and rippled rib cages form an elegant PATTERN. The dark and light areas on the sculptures are traces of GESSO and black LACQUER that once covered their surfaces. Flesh-colored pigments covered portions of the lacquer.

The Nio exhibit tremendous energy. Their arms, legs, and clublike feet dramatically jut into space, and drapery swirls violently around them. The Nio's bulging eyes, furrowed brows, flaring nostrils, and distorted grimaces bring their faces to life.

Conceived as a pair, the Nio complement each other. Misshaku Kongo, representing overt power, bares his teeth and raises his fist in action, while Naeren Kongo, representing latent might, holds his mouth tightly closed and waits with both arms tensed but lowered.

Each Nio figure represents a particular cosmic sound. Misshaku Kongo's open mouth sounds out "ah," meaning birth. Naeren Kongo sounds "om," meaning death. Thus, in one cosmic sound life is encapsulated at a temple doorway, reminding viewers that life is fleeting and that good karma is necessary to avoid rebirth on the Wheel of Life.

LOOK
1. Tell the story of Kongorikishi. This story justified the use of physical force to defend the Buddha and his worshippers against evil. How do these guardian figures, part of the tradition of Kongorikishi, personify physical force? Consider: size, musculature, body type, and pose. These figures are over six feet tall, bulging muscles and stocky build suggest strength, poses suggest energetic movement.

2. What are these figures standing on? Clouds. How can you tell? Bases are carved in swirling mist-like patterns. What does that tell us about their domain? Heavenly domain rather than earthly.

3. Compare these two guardian figures. What is the same about them? Height, weight, musculature and body type, body decoration and jewelry, hairstyle, facial features, garments. What is different? Poses or gestures, facial expressions.

4. One of the figures stands for latent power and the other stands for direct action. Which is which? How can you tell? The figure with its fist raised, Misshaku Kongo, stands for direct action. Raised fist, stiff right arm and open mouth with bared teeth suggest that this figure is physically threatening. Explain that Misshaku Kongo's mouth sounds out "ah", meaning birth. The figure with its arms lowered, Naeren Kongo, stands for latent power. Lowered bent arms close to the body and hand extended in a halting gesture, mouth closed, suggest that this figure's power is contained, in control. Explain that Naeren Kongo's mouth sounds out "om", meaning death.

5. These Nio Guardian figures would have stood outside the entrance to a Buddhist temple. Look carefully at these figures standing side by side. Is one made for the left side of an entrance and one made for the right? Which is which? How can you tell? Misshaku Kong, with raised fist, was meant for the left side and Naeren Kongo, with arms lowered, was meant for the right. In this configuration, Naeren Kongo's lowered arm fits neatly under Misshaku Kongo's raised fist, their extended legs are mirror images of each other, they face away from each other rather than toward each other and their garments flow outward, away from the entrance that would have been between them.

6. In art, NATURALISTIC means representing something the way you would see it in nature. STYLIZED means representing something by distorting its natural forms to express an idea about it. Where has the artist who carved these figures used naturalistic representation? Musculature on arms, abdomen, facial expression, drapery on clothing. Where has he used stylized representation? Hair, ears, chest and rib cage, nipples, hands, feet.

2. Nio Guardian figures served as symbolic protection at a Buddhist temple hundreds of years ago. What are symbols of protection that we see today? Operation Identification stickers on front doors, McGruff safe house signs, bars on windows, traffic signs serve as protection for drivers.

3. These two guardian figures stood outside an entrance to a Buddhist temple. Buddhism is a nonviolent religion. What message would these sculptures convey to the Buddhist worshippers who pass between them? Recall the story of Kongorikishi. Rather than intimidate Buddhist worshippers the Nio Guardian figures were meant to reassure them that they were protected against evil forces.

4. Each Nio figure represents a particular cosmic sound. Misshaku Kongo's open mouth sounds out "ah", meaning birth. Naeren Kongo's mouth sounds out "om", meaning death. What purpose might these sounds serve at a Buddhist temple entrance? They encompass life, reminding worshippers that their spiritual life is contained in the temple.